West Virginia University Institute of Technology received high marks on Payscale’s 2014 College Return on Investment Report, ranking in the top 10 percent of public schools in the nation for students paying in-state tuition and highest overall return on investment in West Virginia.

“This report shows what we already know  that an education from WVU Tech is a worthwhile endeavor. And our graduates are seeing more than financial benefits. Our students are educated in an inclusive and supportive environment that creates knowledgeable and civic-minded graduates,” said WVU Tech Campus President Carolyn Long.

Payscale, Inc., which collects an analyzes compensation data, releases an annual report that ranks institutions based on the financial gain a graduate can expect to see from an investment in a bachelor’s degree at that college. The ranking provides return on investment statistics for colleges and universities throughout the United States, including private schools and the Ivy League.

The report provides a number of statistics, including average starting salaries for ranked institutions. On average, graduates from the WVU System make $7,000-15,000 more in their starting salaries than graduates from other West Virginia institutions. Over 20 years, WVU Tech graduates can realize more than 2 and 1/2 times their return on investment than from non-WVU system institutions in the state.

Payscale also provides an annualized return on investment based on what graduates can expect to earn over 20 years. WVU Tech is nationally ranked #11 in annual return on investment (10.4%) in public schools for students paying in-state tuition. The annualized figure allows a graduate to compare their annual financial return to what they would see if they had invested in stocks or bonds rather than a degree.

The report relies on data collected from 1.4 million graduate compensation surveys and factors in the cost of attending college, financial aid and the average salary for high school graduates of the same age.